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Friday, March 8, 2013

Student Interactive Session by a Legendary Entrepreneur in IIT Bombay

Feb 25,2013, it could have been
yet another day in IIT Bombay, hadn’t we got the chance to witness the speech
of a legendary person, Padma Vibhushan, one of the most repected leaders in
India and in world in fact, Mr Ratan Naval Tata.

The convocation hall which was
jam packed with more than 1500 students, who were stuck with awe waiting to
witness the speech of a legend. Then all a sudden, thousands of hands were put
together to welcome the man of steel, a true inspiration.

Few months after he retired,
Ratan Tata remains a personal enigma despite the millions of words written
about him. It was a student interaction session and all of us were ready, more
than ever, to speak to Mr Tata. In fact for a question as what was the secret
of TATA’s success – he gave answer in two words – Quality and not compromising
in Values.The industrialist, known for his strict
adherence to ethics despite India's sometimes murky corporate and government
culture, said that he always aligned his philosophy with that of TATA to invest
and grow.

To think out of box and at the
same time to be humble and sensitive to the society was the suggestion from a
person, who is single and leads a modest lifestyle in his bachelor apartment.

He reiterated that ideological
motivation is much required for the investors to take the willing risk in the
present Indian context, where empowerment of private sector is much limited.

When a student asked what was
required for origin of more TATAs in the society, he said that it would be
possible if education and career should be based on talent rather basing on
their background abilities to pay for them!

Later speaking about the
endowment to Harvard Business School, Mr Tata explained his strategic move to
put India in the map of permanent managerial education.

He said that it is time for India
to move to manufacturing economy from service based economy, otherwise, India
would become another UK, which did well in service economy until it collapsed. He
also said that he is confident that India's days of robust growth will return.

His only advice for the a
thousand brilliant minds sitting in that room was, to be sensible to those
millions who are deprived of many basic opportunities and to have more humility
rather arrogance and he emphasized that education should be taught in social
context for a better India. This was one of the most inspirational speeches, we
ever witnessed in IIT Bombay.